What Doesn't Kill Us Only Makes Us Stronger
by tlc27
Summary: A slight turn of events in the episode Regrets, leads to unbearable consequences.
1. Chapter 1

Daley searched frantically for the medicine Jackson needed. She found a bottle that she thought was the medicine he needed. Daley rushed back into the tent where she found Melissa crying about that it would be her fault if anything horrible happened to him.

"I found the medicine you need, Jackson. You need to take two of these pills," Daley handed him the medicine, which he gulped down with some water.

"How long to see if it worked?" he asked calmly.

"15 minutes or so,"

It was tense 15 minutes: Melissa was still crying bye Jackson's side, Eric and Lex had joined the group after figuring out the device Eric had made, Nathan and Taylor were chatting quietly, and Daley remained to herself. The almost awkward silence was broken by Melissa rushing out of the tent. A new set of tears were running down her face.

"There's something worse going on with Jackson!" she almost screamed. Daley and Melissa hurried back into the tent. She was right, Jackson wasn't responding and he barely had a pulse.

"Does anybody here know CPR?" Daley asked anxiously.

"I don't think so," she stuck her head out of the tent and asked the same question to the others. They all responded with the same answers: no. That question obviously brought them to ask the same one: Is Jackson dying?

Daley was now crying and was trying to perform CPR on Jackson. She couldn't achieve the process. After five minutes Jackson wasn't breathing.

Melissa and Daley hugged and sobbed silently. They both wanted to tell the others but they couldn't bring themselves to. About five minutes later, Nathan walked in. He concluded that from Melissa and Daley sobbing to Jackson's lifeless body that he had passed on. He silently walked out of the tent and walked to the others.

"Um…guys. This isn't easy but you see…Jackson passed on," After blurting out the last part, Taylor started to ball, Eric had an appalled look on his face, and Lex buried his face into his arms. Nathan fought hard to not cry but failed. What seemed like an hour later, Daley and Melissa strolled out of the tent. Their faces were dry, but you could tell that they had recently been crying.

"I think I know what killed him," Daley said shakily. "I believe that I gave him the wrong medicine," She then burst into tears and fell to the ground. Lex ran to her side and started to comfort her. Nathan walked to the tent and pulled out enough sleeping bags for everybody because he was almost sure that nobody would want to sleep there tonight. He threw them into the plane and walked to the group. He thought ,"_What doesn't kill us only makes us stronger."_


	2. Eric's Thoughts

**After two reviews wanting more of this story, I have decided to continue it. The second chapter is Eric's reaction.**

Eric couldn't think straight. Jackson hadn't been his favorite person on the island, but still, he had kind of liked him.

Eric tossed and turned throughout the night like many others in the plane. Suddenly he stopped tossing around. Eric had just remembered what he had last said to Jackson.

"_Eric, come back here!" Jackson screamed as Eric continued to walk away._

"_I don't have to do anything you tell me to!"_

"_Eric, we're all in this together! You have to work just like everybody on this island,"_

"_Screw this and screw you!" Eric then sprinted to the direction of the plane._

"Crap," Eric accidentally let slip out. He evidentially said it pretty loudly because Melissa had woken up.

"What?" Her voice was still shaky from crying through the night.

"Nothing go back to sleep,"

"Are you still thinking about Jackson?" Eric slightly nodded.

"Me too,"

"Least you're happy with your last conversation with him," 

"What do you mean?"

"Well, let's just say that I didn't have a very cheerful last conversation with him,"

"What did you say to him?" Eric replayed his last conversation with Melissa. For a few seconds, Melissa had a blank look on her face. She then reached over and hugged Eric didn't let go for a long time. She didn't say anything, but her hug had been enough comfort for Eric. When she pulled away, Melissa walked back her sleeping bag and left Eric to his own thoughts.

**So, what did you think?**


	3. Nathan's Thoughts

Nathan was the first to wake up in the morning. The first thing on his mind was Jackson's now lifeless body. They all couldn't stay in the airplane forever, so they would have to bury him sometime soon.

First of all, he'd need to dig a hole big enough for a casket, and the group would most likely want it done and over with by tonight. He picked up a shovel and moved into the jungle. He walked out into a clearing of the jungle and found a guitar. Any other day, he would have just passed on, but today was different. Just two days ago, Jackson had played a song he had made for Chilloween. He then broke down and cried.

Nathan started reminisce of all the times on the island he had interacted with Jackson. He started to cry harder when he remembered all those bad things he had said to Jackson when Nathan had discovered that he was making a raft. Nathan had never officially apologized to him. Now he would never have the chance. He had especially felt guilty because the raft had turned out to be a distress signal.

Nathan also was never going to have the chance of thanking Jackson for everything he's done. Jackson seemed to be everybody's "rock" to lean on. He was the strongest at the lowest times and he would be everybody's helper.

Then, if they were ever rescued, the survivors would have to tell of Jackson's fate on that deadly day. He then remembered that his foster parents probably wouldn't even care. Melissa had told Nathan that Jackson had no family life whatsoever.

Nathan took time to admire Jackson's bravery. He risked his life to save Taylor and Melissa when they fell off a cliff. He also went out in the storm one night to try to find the others. Even the ammo box they found, which turned out not to be dangerous, Jackson was the only one brave enough to open it. Jackson was willing to risk his life, which turned out to be his worse decision of his life, by drinking some of the unclean water so nobody else would have to. Yes, Nathan couldn't help but to admire him.

Nathan slowly pulled himself up and told himself that Jackson wouldn't him moping around over his death. He wiped his eyes and dug a hole where Jackson normally hung out away from everybody else. '_A good way to honor Jackson I guess,"_ Nathan thought.


End file.
